


BNA: Torch

by Zandusky



Category: BNA: Brand New Animal (Anime)
Genre: Fantastic Racism, Intrigue
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:02:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28758537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zandusky/pseuds/Zandusky
Summary: Set in the years leading up to the events of the show, there are others that strive to bridge the gap between humans and beastmen. Those that don't necessarily agree with the establishment of Anima City seek to accomplish their goals through other means. Some have come together and formed a coalition of both beastmen and humans, and have managed to make some headway. However, with the world's eyes primarily focused elsewhere, primarily on the success of Anima City, their progress has slowed to a crawl. Though that doesn't mean they've given up yet. Even with this temporary setback, they continue their efforts to maintain their influence and gather more support. Potential opportunities lie at every corner, and perhaps theirs will soon enough.
Kudos: 6





	1. Cloak and Dagger

**Author's Note:**

> This originally started as a one-off mini passion project to be shared with a few close friends. But after reading some fanfics posted on the r/BNA Discord server, I was spurred on to take a shot at it myself and continue working on it. I have been discussing potential theories with fellow peers in the server for a while now, and it felt wrong to not contribute myself. While I felt the premise of the show was very promising, there were a series of other things in the show that sort of just piled up, really dampening my enjoyment of the show. 
> 
> These particular pieces are brief introductions or 'teasers' for new characters I plan to introduce in a hypothetical sequel. As to when they'll make their appearances is still to be determined, as with the number of new characters I plan to add. With how many ideas that come to mind, it's hard to tell how far I can take this. With life how it is now, a lot of it remains uncertain, but I still hope to write as much as I can about something I'm this passionate about.

**2015, July, 11:00pm, Central European Time**   
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

In the bustling halls of one of the airport’s terminal gates, a man, roughly in his mid 30s, waits to board. His flight is scheduled to depart in roughly half an hour, and he’s been here for a couple hours now, due to the various intricacies of airport protocols. He was bored and exhausted, and understandably so. Most of the other passengers lounging about were on their phones, or whatever device they brought to entertain themselves with. 

He glances back over to his luggage in utter boredom, in hopes that it would make his wait a little more tolerable. But to no avail. On its handle, a tag, with the name Drake Koningsvloek in bold black ink. Back over to the attendants’ desk, Drake looks at the screen above the desk only to be reminded once more of his flight’s destination : Busan, South Korea. However, his ultimate destination would be Anima City.  Though, Drake wouldn’t have much choice in the matter. There were those that were still skeptical of the Japanese government’s intentions, as well as their financier. Creating a sanctuary city for beastmen was a good idea on paper, but having it in a region where anti-beastman sentiments ran rampant seemed counterproductive.

Fortunately, most of the arrangements have already been taken care of, from the flight, the ferry ride from Busan, to his living quarters in Anima City. Those were already covered, presumably by the group’s benefactor; Drake just needed to get there. As for why he was making a quick stop in Busan, it was the easiest option for all parties. Given the many diplomatic obstacles, primarily the Japanese government, landing on Japanese soil would only cause them more problems. This workaround would also make it harder for him to be tracked by any potential beastmen hunters, which were rumored to prowl the vicinity. A pesky bunch. Just goes to show their abhorrent views on beastmen, despite the existence of a Special Administrative Region such as Anima City within their boundaries. Anima City, Animosity..Was that an intended pun?

Once in Busan, Drake was to rendezvous with another colleague, where they would then be ‘ferried’ to Anima City. Though, smuggled in was a more adequate term. Over ten hours of travel, with jet lag slapped on top of it. This was going to be one long night, and Drake wasn’t looking forward to it. The man leans against the chair, sighing in annoyance. The chief was probably delighting in Drake’s inconvenience, but he definitely knew what he was doing.

It was almost time to board, and Drake pulled out his diplomatic passport. He was never one for pictures, but they seemed to be good enough to keep. Though, he had to take two photos: one in human form, and the other in beastman form, for identification purposes of course. Being a gila monster beastman does have its benefits though. Along with all of his combat training, he felt confident that he could handle anything thrown at him.

Something lights up by the gangway, indicating that it was time to board. Drake decides that it’s time to go, seeing fellow passengers rouse themselves up from their seats. He puts his passport away, securely in his pocket, and proceeds to gather his belongings. Best to get past the gate as soon as possible, before the line piles up. So much for trying to return to a ‘normal life’. Though being a beastman was anything but. He knew what he was signing up for when joining this merry little band of his. An overhead speaker goes off, signalling that all passengers of his flight to Busan were now permitted to board. After one last check in, Drake walks through the gangway and into the plane. This brand new lifestyle that he was diving into, seemed uncertain, even chaotic. But something told him that he was going to enjoy this.


	2. Firewall

**2019, April, 4:30pm, Eastern European Time**   
Corinth, Greece

On the outside, it appeared to be just an ordinary house in a suburban area on the city’s outskirts. There was nothing about the house’s exterior that would lead anyone to believe anything else. But time and time again, appearances can be deceiving. In the house’s master bedroom, an arctic fox beastman labors away on his laptop. The laptop seems to be custom made, with the best tech there was available. In general, every device he owned seemed to be state of the art, perhaps even futuristic for its age. Given the mundane decorum of the rest of his abode, it seems that this was his lifelong passion.

On the laptop, the fox browses through a bunch of files, from documents, recordings, all the way to security footage. Whatever he was looking for, it seemed to be very important, because most of this doesn’t seem to be the kind that would be readily available to the public. In fact, most of it was confidential, locked behind government firewalls and all the security measures that come with it. And he bypassed most of these with ease, effortlessly almost. He was probably breaking a few international laws here and there, but it’s only illegal if he gets caught, right?

As he continues scouring the databases for information, the fox starts to become slightly annoyed, indicating he’s having a problem looking for what he wants. He sighs in frustration as he leans back against his office chair. His phone then starts ringing and the fox stretches to pick it up. It’s from the chief, probably calling in to see if he’s made any progress on their current case. He swipes left to pick up. “Yeah?” The fox asks, in a casual tone.

The voice on the other side of the line then speaks. “It’s been a hot minute since we’ve talked, Adonis, any updates on our suspect?” There was a slight gruff to his voice, and it sounded like a young man in his twenties. The voice definitely sounded like he was trying to be formal about it, but Adonis knew better.

The fox chuckles a little. “You don’t need to be so formal when it’s just the two of us.” Adonis could faintly hear the voice react to his remark. The fox lets out a sigh and gets back onto the main topic. “Not much unfortunately. This guy’s pretty hard to track.” The fox reopens one of his previous tabs, scrolling down a little. “Whoever he is, he’s pretty good at staying off the grid.. But I did find something..” Adonis continues.

The chief doesn’t speak a word, waiting on Adonis to provide information on his findings. The fox takes a second to find that file again. “It seems that our man was involved in the civil war in Syria. And with his group claiming responsibility for a few other attacks in Armenia, I have reason to suspect his base of operations is somewhere around the region. Only problem is that it’s hard to say where they’ll strike next.”

“Yeah, that region is a hotbed for conflict. There’s a notable beastman population too, and from the articles, they seem to be the primary targets of these attacks.” The chief’s stiffish tone seems to settle down a bit, relieved that they at least have a lead now. “Fine work.”

“You know, that attitude doesn’t really suit you. I know this whole thing was originally your idea, but like, aren’t you pushing yourself too hard?” The fox didn’t mean to come off as rude, but he meant well. They’ve known each other for a pretty long time, and the chief tends to overexert himself.

Adonis could hear a light chuckle from the other end, confirming his suspicions. “Heh.. I’ll keep that in mind.” The chief replied in jest. “And quit calling me chief while you’re at it..”

The two friends chuckled for a little bit, until Adonis was able to faintly hear the sound of a car door opening. “Well, it seems like you arrived at your destination. Who were you meeting up with again?” The fox asks. Another car door can be heard opening, presumably the chauffeur escorting his friend out of the car.

“An Austrian automobile tycoon. He’s expressed an interest in our little plight for a couple years now. He’s been offering financial backing and all that, unofficially anyway. I brought it up with the UN a while back and they said they hold no objections, so I’m here to make the partnership official. I hear he’s quite an oddball.” The chief pauses for a moment before continuing, likely to step out of the car. “Anyway, it’ll be rude to keep him waiting, I’ll be seeing ya soon hopefully.”

“Alright then Bohusław, take care.” Adonis then promptly hangs up, before getting back to work.


	3. The Chief, The Firebrand (Part 1)

****2019, April, 3:35pm Central European Time** **   
Vienna, Austria 

As the phone call ends, Bohusław steps out of the limousine and continues to be escorted by the chauffeur. The manor certainly has that antiquated vibe to it, taking much inspiration from 18th century palaces. There was a large, lavish garden with a large fountain in the center of the walkway. The list could go on with how ostentatiously decorated the entire property was, but Bohusław wasn’t here to stop and smell the roses. The human chauffeur gave the chief a perplexing gaze, considering Bohusław maintained his beastman form, never bothering to switch forms. Not even since he got off the plane. The chauffeur just continued to watch as the young wolf beastman walked himself over to the manor’s gates, realizing that he hardly needed a chaperone at this point.

Almost as if on command, the gates open up to him. The host was attentive enough to see that his guest had arrived. Right on cue, the wolf thought to himself. Another quick glance of his surroundings and one could tell it wasn’t as lavish as it looked, at least on the exterior anyway. A short flight of stairs and Bohusław finds himself at the door. Without even so much as placing his hand on the doorknob, a buzzer goes off, followed by the sound of the door unlocking. Not needing any other signal, he takes it as his invitation inside. Upon opening the door, his senses are overloaded with the unnecessary grandiose of the interior decorum. Bohusław lightly grunts in irritation, not entirely pleased with what he sees. The halls are littered with regal furniture that just screams nobility. Most rich people who decorate their estates like this are as arrogant as they are gaudy. The wolf quickly shakes his head, trying to tune out everything else and focus on what he was actually here for. He looks around for his gracious host, hopefully to distract himself from.. All of this.

A foreign voice echoes through the hallways, as footsteps could be heard drawing ever closer. “Guten tag friend, I pray you had no issue getting here?” The wolf looks up the stairwell to see a human, clearly well dressed in a business suit, typical of any affluent human. How do they even put up with wearing these things regularly? In comparison, Bohusław seemed to show signs of displeasure in wearing this outfit. He was never one for fancy suits, no matter how debonair others claimed he looked in one. The wolf patiently waited for the host to descend down the steps. “Not at all, except maybe a few stares..I do appreciate your concerns though, Mr. Werner Metzen.” Bohusław replies. It was something that he had gotten used to over time. The man clears his throat as he steps off the stairs, covering his mouth with a hand. “Speaking of which..” Werner pauses for a moment, offering a nervous smile. “Before we move on to more pressing matters, would you kindly put those away? You won’t be needing them here.”

If it were possible, Bohusław would roll his eyes in disinterest. It was pretty clear what Werner meant by that, and the wolf had some strong feelings about that. It almost felt like a personal slight to him. “With all due respect, why exactly does that matter?” He would almost burst out, while doing his best to hide his visible irritation.

Werner can offer nothing but a shrug, not having a real answer other than a question of his own. “Isn’t it like social etiquette or..-” But before he could finish the question, Bohusław interrupted again. “And who decided that?” The human grumbles. “Mr. Vlkovák, please..”

“Can a human change the color of their skin?” The wolf asked, somewhat rhetorically, given he already knew the answer to that. “Our compatriots in the States beg to differ.” Werner furrows his brows a bit, indicating in acknowledgement of the apparent hypocrisy. Bohusław then spoke up again. “If you insist that kind of barrier exists between us, then how can you claim to be progressive? It shouldn’t matter what form I take, because it doesn’t change the matter of the fact. Haven’t we conformed to your standards long enough?”

Still in that pained expression, Werner does manage to respond. “Well, I don’t make the rules but..” That expression slowly turns into a smirk. Seems as if Bohusław convinced him, or just that the Austrian tycoon couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. “You’ve got guts if nothing else…” Taking his hand off his face, Werner gestures the wolf as he embarks deeper into the manor, and Bohusław follows suit. “You’re brazen enough to bark despite the circumstance you find yourself in. I should be the one with leverage here, since you need me more than I need you. But you’ve got that spark, and I find that admirable.” 

“Come then, we’ll speak more in my office.” He says, directing the wolf to follow him down the hallway on their left. As the two of them continued their tour, Bohusław was able to get a good look in his host’s tastes. It was pretty German alright, but there seemed to be something else. Despite the good condition of all the rooms that he had passed by, it definitely feels like most of these rooms are solely ceremonial, with little practical use. To put it lightly, it felt more like a palace and less of a home. Regal furniture continued to decorate its halls, with no apparent end in sight. There was also this bicolor motif going on in the residence. Goldish yellow and black littered the entire manor in some form, with few exceptions. Even Werner himself was dressed that way to some extent. The tycoon wore a golden yellow suit with a black suit and tie. There was something else that caught the wolf’s attention: a glamorously decorated bird cage. It was rather large, one more suited for larger birds. Though of course that too was just for show, but it was something that he found rather odd. The two stopped in front of a pair of large doors, with decorum clearly indicating some sort of significance. 

“Now then, is there anything I can offer you, a refreshment perhaps?” Werner would ask. “You must be exhausted after such a long trip.” Bohusław would be quick to answer that. “Yeah, a cup of coffee, if you don’t mind.” As the two walk into what the wolf presumes to be an office space, it hardly felt like any conventional office. It was perhaps the most heavily decorated room in the entire manor. Alongside the desk were the chairs, which quite frankly looked more like a pair of thrones. A bunch of banners and flags decorate the back wall of the office, among other things. Some of these were pretty old, as one could tell from the visible wear and tear. Seems like Werner was a bit of a history buff, kinda like him. For a car manufacturing tycoon, even this seemed a bit over the top. It was a bit alarming, and something about all this didn’t sit well with Bohusław. Billionaires often have the most to hide, but this seemed a bit.. Different. 

“Why don’t you just take a seat while we wait.. We have much to discuss I’m sure.” Werner says with a confident smirk. A few moments later, once the refreshments are delivered, Bohusław’s gracious host closes the grand doors behind them before taking his seat on his suspiciously shaped chair. Perhaps he was right to ask for coffee, because this might take a while...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is likely gonna be a multi-parter, though the rest of this will probably come a lot later, as I don't want to get too far ahead of myself. I will likely start writing up sequel stuff at this point.


End file.
